Join us in supporting pilots' return to the sky
Global Talent Idaho, a program of the Idaho Office for Refugees, is pioneering a recertification project to help allies from Afghanistan transition their skills and training as pilots to careers in U.S. commercial aviation. Not only will this be life-changing for the pilots and their families, but it will address our nation’s unprecedented pilot shortage.
“Your heart belongs to the sky,” said pilot Najib Amani, who resettled in Boise.
“You have to go back to the sky and serve.”
Global Talent, founded in 2014 to help New Americans reclaim their careers, began working with Afghan pilots in Idaho in 2021. When Kabul fell, over 300 Afghan pilots who supported the U.S. military were ordered to fly their planes out of Afghanistan. Many had to leave their families behind. They were resettled in the U.S., including 14 in Idaho.
They've been working multiple jobs to support themselves and their families back home. But what they really want to do is fly again.
The recertification process involves completing 10 weeks of ground school and 2-3 weeks of flight courses and passing FAA exams. Three pilots working with Global Talent have completed ground school.
These courses cost tens of thousands of dollars per pilot, and we are aiming to raise $40,000 for scholarships to help cover the costs. Pilots are continuing to work as they study long hours so they can send money back home to their families, where the economy has crumbled.
They've been working multiple jobs to support themselves and their families back home. But what they really want to do is fly again.
The recertification process involves completing 10 weeks of ground school and 2-3 weeks of flight courses and passing FAA exams. Three pilots working with Global Talent have completed ground school.
These courses cost tens of thousands of dollars per pilot, and we are aiming to raise $40,000 for scholarships to help cover the costs. Pilots are continuing to work as they study long hours so they can send money back home to their families, where the economy has crumbled.
Please use the online donation form below or send a check to:
Global Talent Idaho
1607 W Jefferson St, Boise ID 83702
(Please put 'Pilots' in the Memo)
Global Talent Idaho
1607 W Jefferson St, Boise ID 83702
(Please put 'Pilots' in the Memo)
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